The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-05-28

as to direct Micheler to employ for
the time being but one draughtsman,
but could not agree to add as Lee
suggested. ION such work as Micheler
may deem most advisable regarding
as do any mapping of the meridian
which he has been engaged in run
ming as entirely supererogatory. unless
the states of Maryland and Virginia
agree to adopt such meridian as the
boundary line in lieu of the one
called for in the charter to Lord Bal
timore."
On Nov. 18th, Lee answered Nc
Donald in part as follows:
GAS to the office work necessary to
complete the survey of the N. w.
Boundary of Maryland, 1 am will
ing also to suspend that for the pres.
ent, owing to the small balance of
appropriation remaining from my
state for that purpose, believing it
would be more advisable to complete
the Eastern shore section, as that is
so well advanced, but in reference to
your remarks regarding as do any
mapping of the meridian as entirely
supererogatory unless the states of
Maryland and Virginia agree to
adopt such meridian as the boundary
line, in lieu of the one called for in
the charter to Lord Baltimore, per-
NIT me to call yOatr attention to the act
of the General assembly of V1rQinio
Of March 26th, 1858. establishing Tie
joint commission Of a0Lich 1 haze the
honor to form O. part, and TO ask, If IN
your opinion, the state of Virginia
does not there acknowledge and adopt
the meridian line from the Fdirfag
stone to the Southern line of Pe,ansvL-
Udnia as the boundary 6etween Vir-
gi'aio and Maryland, and direct it to
be so established 2"
After this Lieut.. Micheler was in
structed 10 postpone the Office work
of the N. w. Boundary line. On
December Goth, 1859, Lieut.. Micheler
made a report to the commissioners
as follows:
BOUNDARY SURVEY OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 20, 1859. !
THOMAS j, LEE, ESQ.,,
Commissioner for Maryland,
ANGUS w, MCDONALD. ESQ.,,
Commissioner for Virginia.
GENTLEMEN
Agreeably to orders from the War
Department, dated Adiutant Gener-
afs Office. Washington, August goth,
1858, l had the honor of being as
signed, in accordance with your re-
quest, to the special service of assist
ing you in tracing and marking the
Boundary lines between your re-
spective states, Maryland and Vir-
glnia. copies of said orders were en-
closed to each Of you by letter ad-
dressed you on the 9th of August,
1858. l now have the pleasure in
pursuance of the several instructions
since received from you, and in COM
pIiance with your wishes as expressed
in the different conferences held upon
the subject, of submitting to you a
report of the progress made of the
survey under my charge, comprising
the labor on the ground and the sub
sequent mapping of certain portions
OF the field notes and also to call
your attention to such matters as re-
main to be attended to in order to
render the work complete. In the
accompanying appendix will be
found copies of each and all of the
several official communication which
have passed between us. including
both Instructions, reports and esti-
mates; also copy of the original
grant made to the Barons of 8alti-
more, defining the confines of the
lands constituting the old colony of
Maryland.
All arranged in the order of their
respective dates.
On the 10Th of September, 1858, by
invitation of the commissioners, 1
visited, in company with several
other gentlemen, the head springs of
the North Branch of the Potomac to
ascertain the position of and identify
Fairfax stone," planted near said
springs by the commissioners ap-
pointed to fix the limits of the i'm
mense tract granted Lord Fairfax
between the Rappahannock and Po-
tomac.
Upon finding it, 1 was directed to
assume it as the initial point of the
Western meridian line, which was
subsequently requested by the COM
missioners to trace.
Your instructions, gentlemen, of
October 4th. 1858, contain the follow
ing extract: "At the conclusion of
the preliminary examinations YOU
are instructed to make by our letter
of October I'd, you will please pro-
coed to the Fairfax stone, at the head
of the North Branch of the Potomac
as aScertatned and identified bv ia